Stigma power

When people have an interest in keeping other people down, in or away, stigma is a resource that allows them to obtain ends they desire. We call this resource “stigma power” and use the term to refer to instances in which stigma processes achieve the aims of stigmatizers with respect to the exploitation, control or exclusion of others. We draw on Bourdieu, 1987 , Bourdieu, 1990 who notes that power is often most effectively deployed when it is hidden or “misrecognized.” To explore the utility of the stigma-power concept we examine ways in which the goals of stigmatizers are achieved but hidden in the stigma coping efforts of people with mental illnesses. We developed new self-report measures and administered…

• NI
  National Institute of Mental Health

  Award: MH74996